Silverware salvage assembly for garbage grinders



May 8, 1962 o. SHERMAN 3,033,368

SILVERWARE SALVAGE ASSEMBLY FOR GARBAGE GRINDERS Filed April 11, 1960 INVENTOR.

J47'T0/QNEY.

United States Patent @flice 3,033,368 SILVERWARE SALVAGE ASSEMBLY FDR GARBAGE GRINDERS George 0. Sherman, Prairie Village, Kane, assignor to The alvaior Company, Kansas City, Mo, a corporation of Missouri Filed Apr. 11, 196i), Ser. No. 21,192 7 Claims. (Cl. 209-155) This invention relates to an assembly for receiving and disposing of table scraps while at the same time salvaging tableware accidentally discharged with the scraps, the primary object being to provide structure capable of retaining the tableware, while at the same time effectively and quickly flushing the scraps and the flushing water to waste through a side opening in an upright tube contained within a scrap-receiving bowl.

It is the most important object of the present invention to provide an assembly of the aforementioned nature that is especially adapted for association with a food waste disposer having scrap grinding means as a part thereof, the tableware salvaging means being essential to the protection of the disposer.

.Another object of the instant invention is to provide an arrangement wherein a substantially hemispherical, hollow bowl is flushed through use of water that is caused to swirl in the bowl around the aforementioned tube and carried into the side opening thereof against baffle means so disposed as to prevent a complete cycle of movement of the water and scraps and to effect a deflection of the material into the opening, notwithstanding the fact that the tableware is retained in the bottom of the bowl.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a top view of a silverware salvage assembly for garbage grinders, made pursuant to the present invention, parts being broken away for clearness.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof parts being broken away to reveal details of construction; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, end elevational view partially in section showing the flush water discharge head.

A substantially hemispherical, hollow bowl provided with a concave-convex bottom 12, and a cylindrical side 14, has a port 16 in said bottom 12 thereof and an annular, outturned flange 18 at the uppermost edge of the side 14 integral with the latter. Side 14 may be disposed within a port 20 of a table 22, flange 18 having a series of perforations 24 adapted to receive fasteners (not shown) for securing the flange 18 to the table 22 over which it is disposed. A cover 26 inset within the bowl 10, has a peripheral flange 28 that overlies the flange 18, there being a substantially kidneyshaped hole 34 in the cover 26.

An upstanding tableware salvaging tube 32, carried by the bowl 10 therewithin, has a cylindrical side wall 34 extending through the port 16 into the uppermost end of a tubular sleeve 36 forming a part of a food waste disposer 38, a head 40 on the outer face of wall 34 resting against the bottom 12 to limit the extent of descent of the tube 32.

The food waste disposer 38 may be of conventional character, having grinding means (not shown) within housing 42 thereof driven by an electric motor 44 and supported by suitable feet 46, the outlet to sewer means or the like for the housing 38 being designated by the numeral 48.

An elongated opening 50 in the tube 32, having its longitudinal axis horizontally disposed circumferentially of the tube 32, is provided with straight, parallel, longitudinal edges, and an arcuate end 52. Tube 32 has a straight, vertical edge 54 forming the opposite end of the opening 50.

A baffle plate 56 within the bowl 10 and spanning the distance between the tube 32 and the bowl 10, has an arcuate edge 58 hearing against the inner face of bottom 12, and a vertical, outermost edge 6% bearing against the inner face of the side 14. Plate 56 extends outwardly from the tube 32 to which it is affixed and is disposed in tangential relationship to the outer face of the side wall 34. The zone of merger between the plate 56 and the wall 34 along the innermost edge of the plate 56, is in close proximity to the edge 54- in parallelism with the latter. Plate 56 terminates at its uppermost horizontal edge in a laterally extending, integral flange 62 coplanar with the uppermost circular edge 64 of the tube 32, flange 62 being spaced slightly below the cover 26. A locating pin 66 for the hole 30, extends upwardly into the cover 26, and except for the port in cover 25 and the hole 30, cover 26 is otherwise imperforate, whereby it covers the tube 32, the plate 56, and its flange 62, as well as a flush water discharge head broadly designated by the numeral 68. The pin 66 assures disposition of the hole 30 in the position illustrated in FIG. 1 each time the cover 26 is removed and replaced.

Hollow head 68 has a flange 70 which bears against the inner face of side 14, an integral screw-threaded nipple 72 that extends through the side 14 and receives a nut 74 which clamps the flange 79 to the side 14, and a hollow, rectangular body 76 integral with flange 70 in opposed relationship to the nipple 72 and communicating therewith. One end of the body 76 is open, presenting an elongated discharge slot 78. The body 76 is tipped downwardly so that water discharging from the slot 78, swirls around the bowl 10 therewithin in a slight downward direction away from hole 30. A

' pipe 80 adapted for connection with a source of water under pressure (not shown) is coupled directly with the nipple 72.

It is apparent from the foregoing that table scraps are discharged directly into the bowl 10 through the hole 30 and, therefore, within the path of flushing water emanating from the head 68. The water immediately carries the scraps in an anticlockwise direction, viewing FIG. 1, around the tube 32 and into the opening 59. Baflle plate 56 prevents complete cycling around the tube 32 and tends to deflect the scraps and the water into the opening 50 as the material to be discharged into the disposer 38, impinges upon that face of the plate 56 illustrated in FIG. 2 and disposed oppositely to the head 68. It is thus seen that the materials travel substantially 360 within the bowl 10 because of the disposition of the baffle plate 56 between the opening 50 and the head 68 in close proximity to both.

It is particularly noteworthy that the lowermost longi' tudinal edge of the opening 50 is spaced above the lower extremities of the bottom 12, i.e., above the head 40. Hence, any tableware accidentally discharged into the bowl 10 through the hole 30, will collect in the bottom '12 of the bowl 10 adjacent the side wall 34 and beneath the opening 50 where such tableware is retained and may be ultimately salvaged. It is extremely unlikely that such tableware will ever be carried upwardly and over into the opening 50* by the force of the flushing water.

It is apparent also that no material or articles which might have a deleterious effect upon the disposer 38 can he accidentally discharged into the tube 32 through the open top thereof because of the way in which the cover 26 overlies tube 32 as is apparent in FIG. 1.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination: a bowl for receiving table scraps; an upstanding tableware salvaging tube carried by the Patented May 8, I962 bowl therewithin, extending through the bottom of the bowl and provided with an opening in the side thereof, said opening of the tube being spaced above said bottom whereby tableware accidentally discharged into the bowl is retained therein; means for directing a stream of water under pressure into the bowl to flush the scraps into the tube through said opening; and bafile means in the bowl, extending outwardly from the tube and spanning the distance between the tube and the bowl in blocking relationship to said stream for preventing the water and scraps from revolving in a complete cycle around the tube.

2. In combination: a bowl for receiving table scraps; an upstanding tableware salvaging tube carried by the bowl therewithin, extending through the bottom of the bowl and provided with an opening in the side thereof, said opening of the tube being spaced above said bottom whereby tableware accidentally discharged into the bowl is retained therein; means for directing a stream of water under pressure into the bowl to flush the scraps into the tube through said opening; and batlle means in the bowl, extending outwardly from the tube, disposed at a tangent to the tube, rigidly secured to the tube and spanning the distance between the tube and the bowl, in engagement with the bottom and side of the bowl in blocking relationship to said stream, terminating at the uppermost end of the tube adjacent the uppermost edge of the bowl for preventing the water and scraps from revolving in a complete cycle around the tube.

3. In combination: a bowl for receiving table scraps; an upstanding tableware salvaging tube carried by the bowl therewithin, extending through the bottom of the bowl and provided with an opening in the side thereof, said opening of the tube being spaced above said bottom whereby tableware accidentally discharged into the bowl is retained therein; means for directing a stream of water under pressure into the bowl to flush the scraps into the tube through said opening; and battle means in the bowl at one end of the opening in blocking relationship to said stream for preventing the water and scraps from revolving in a complete cycle around the tube, the opening being disposed between the bafile means and said water directing means circumferentially of the tube.

4. In combination: a bowl for receiving table scraps; an upstanding tableware salvaging tube carried by the bowl therewithin, extending through the bottom of the bowl and provided with an opening in the side thereof, said opening of the tube being spaced above said bottom whereby tableware accidentally discharged into the bowl is retained therein; means for directing a stream of water under pressure into the bowl to flush the scraps into the tube through said opening; and bafile means in the bowl at one end of the opening in blocking relationship to said stream for preventing the water and scraps from revolving in a complete cycle around the tube, the opening being disposed between the bafile means and said water directing means circumferentially of the tube, said water directing means including a water discharge head adjacent the battle means and disposed to direct the stream of water away from said bafile means and to carry the scraps circumferentially of the bowl toward the opening.

5. In combination: a hollow, substantially hemispherical bowl for receiving table scraps; an upstanding tableware salvaging tube carried by the bowl therewithin, extending through the bottom of the bowl and provided with an opening in the side thereof, said opening of the tube being spaced above said bottom whereby tableware accidentally discharged into the bowl is retained therein; means for directing a stream of water under pressure into the bowl to flush the scraps into the tube through said opening; and battle means in the bowl at one end of the opening in blocking relationship to said stream for preventing the water and scraps from revolving in a complete cycle around the tube, the opening being disposed between the bafiie means and said water directing means circumferentially of the tube, said water directing means including a water discharge head adjacent the battle means and disposed to direct the stream of water away from said balfie means and to carry the scraps eircumfcrentially of the bowl toward the opening, the bafile means including a battle having a lowermost edge complementally engageable with the inner surface of the bowl.

6. In combination: a bowl for receiving table scraps; an upstanding tableware salvaging tube carried by the bowl therewithin, extending through the bottom of the bowl and provided with an opening in the side thereof, said opening of the tube being spaced above said bottom whereby tableware accidentally discharged into the bowl is retained therein; means for directing a stream of water under pressure into the bowl to flush the scraps into the tube through said opening; battle means in the bowl adjacent said water-directing means and in blocking relationship to said stream of water for preventing the water and scraps from revolving in a complete cycle around the tube, said water-directing means being disposed to direct water away from said battle means; and a cover on the bowl provided with a scrap-receiving hole extending from adjacent the water directing means circumferentially toward the opening, the cover being imperforate above the water directing means, the bafile means and the opening.

7. In combination: a bowl for receiving table scraps; an upstanding tableware salvaging tube carried by the bowl therewithin, extending through the bottom of the bowl and provided with an opening in the side thereof, said opening of the tube being spaced above said bottom whereby tableware accidentally discharged into the bowl is retained therein; means for directing a stream of water under pressure into the bowl to flush the scraps into the tube through said opening; bafiie means in the bowl adjacent said water-directing means and in blocking relationship to said stream of water for preventing the water and scraps from revolving in a complete cycle around the tube, said water-directing means being disposed to direct water away from said baffle means; and a cover on the bowl provided with a scrap-receiving hole extending from adjacent the water directing means circumferentially toward the opening, the cover being imperforate above the water directing means, the bafile means and the opening, said bathe means having a locating pin for said hole extending upwardly into the cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,474,277 Martel Nov. 13, 1923 1,976,902 Stoddard Oct. 16, 1934 2,768,387 Draper Oct. 30, 1956 2,795,330 Sawyer June 11, 1957 2,843,328 Stoynich July 15, 1958 2,902,700 Chambers Sept. 8, 1959 

